Machines have heretofore been made for filling containers with a viscous product such as semi-solid confection materials in which the viscous product is discharged in a generally continuous fashion through a downwardly opening nozzle into the container, and the container, when filled, is moved crosswise of the nozzle to shear the product in the container from the product in the nozzle. Examples of such prior filling machines are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,612,016; 3,124,916; 3,172,434, 3,364,651 and 4,388,795. These prior filling machines utilized the container to measure the volume of product dispensed into each container, and used the upper edge of the container to shear off the material in the container from the material in the nozzle. Such prior apparatus, are only adapted for filling containers full to the top of the container. There are, however, some applications in which it is desired to fill a container with a volume substantially less than the full volume of the container, to provide a head space at the top of the container above the product level.